350 legend

[Guide]

I’m pretty sure I’m going to get The Henry single shot in .243 youth model as a deer maybe varmit or black bear at close range. But I see more and more 350 legend ammo and less cost. My concerns are length of pull, versatility as well as recoil. I’ve got some shoulder issues and I know my 20 gauge with slugs are no friendly to one another. The other concern is the length of pull. I don’t imagine Henry would put the youth size butt portion or if the would probably an up charge.. The other question is I hear high velocity ammo wears out a barrel quickly should I consider that well. I’m sure at almost 75 I’ll not be putting thousands of rounds through either, may my Ruger American or CZ Lux .22 rifles will see thousands, wife and I love shooting those two.
Any way hope some one will weigh in.

Guide

[rickhem]

Not sure what your specific question is, so I'll shotgun some stuff as kind of answers for you:

* Length of pull is ultimately adjustable to whatever you want. It's your rifle, so make it fit you. If a youth stock works, great, but if you need more taken off, or a shorter LOP, then have that done. Having a rifle that does not fit impacts your other two priorities as well.

* Versatility is partially in the mind of the owner. You can hunt anything from squirrels to elk with a .243, and there are loads appropriate for everything on that spectrum. Probably not much different with the 350 Legend, if limiting the range to under 200 yards. But if you're in Maine, and aren't hunting elk, then the long range effectiveness of the .243 really isn't within the range of versatility that YOU would need, and you have your .22s for squirrels. More on versatility later.

* Recoil is subject to a lot of factors like the weight of the projectile, how fast it's being pushed, and the weight of the rifle shooting it. Heavy rifles kick less, but aren't fun to carry around. Bullets for the .243 run from 55 grains, to 115 grains. The Legend uses bullets from about 115 grains, to 250 for sub-sonics. These two are probably a wash as far as recoil from similar rifles, considering the heavier Legend bullets aren't pushed as fast.

* High velocity, along with some other factors, does wear out a barrel sooner, but that is most noticeable at distance first. And the .243 is known as one that is rough on barrels. I had my own .243 rebarreled to 6mmBR after less than 2000 rounds. It still shot about 1 moa at 100, but it was on the other side of the curve at that point, and wasn't going to do anything but get worse. A bottleneck case like the .243 is much rougher on barrels than a straight wall case like the Legend. Definite edge to the Legend with barrel longevity.

All that said, I'd be more concerned with availability of ammo for whichever you choose. If you don't reload, you're more at the mercy of the market. The .243 has been around a long time, isn't going anywhere, and is pretty widely available, but the Legend, as new as it is, has caught on and if you're seeing a lot of it regularly, then probably a wash on this too. With as thick as the woods are in Maine, I'm guessing you see way more Legend ammo, along with 30-30, and .35 Rem than someone would see in Montana.

So at this point, I'm sure the waters are even muddier, with no obvious stand out. That's really not a problem, since it spurs more discussion. You may go back and forth on your decision a few times, and I'm guessing you may have already done that. I know that no matter what you get, you'll still wonder about the other. Different tools for different jobs, and you eventually learn that versatility can also be defined as compromise. A golf bag is allowed to have 14 clubs, and each has a specific job to do, which is why they carry 14, but when restricted to one or two clubs, most golfers shoot the same scores. Think about that.

[BigAl52]

Ive got a 243 and Ive had several. Ive never worn out a barrel on a 243 and Ive shot them plenty. Now if your talking 22-250 and 220 swift you might wear one out. But I doubt you will shoot it enough to even worry about barrel wear. Are you for sure dead set on a Single Shot? Im not sure there would be much difference in felt recoil of a 243 and the 350 Legend. You could always buy both. Shooting Varmints with a 350 legend might be a little over the top. 243 would be a better choice for that.

[bandit1250]

I wanted a 350 Legend until I saw that the bullet diameter is .355 dia. I have a thousand or more .357 dia. bullets and decided not to buy one and have the odd diameter bullets instead of the more common .357. Also friends that bought the 350 have not been happy with the accuracy with the factory ammo and also having deer run off and have to trail them. Could be the shooter making bad shots. I decided on the CVA Scout in 444 Marlin. I bought the stainless model with the fluted barrel and the removable muzzle brake. Has a trigger pull of 1 3/4 pound right from the box. It also has a Bergera barrel that is the smoothest barrel I have seen. So far accuracy is great and I have plenty of 44 caliber pistol bullets I can reload in the 444 for cheaper practice shooting than the rifle bullets. I can load it down to 44 Mag velocity or full power 444 for far more energy than a 350 legend for heavier game than deer. I am planning on getting another CVA Scout in 35 Whelen and shoot the .357/358 pistol bullets in it to load ammo cheaper for practice. I will get the same model as I have in the 444. Also a big thanks to Vaquero for helping me out with some full length casings for loading my ammo.

[BigAl52]

I wanted a 350 Legend until I saw that the bullet diameter is .355 dia. I have a thousand or more .357 dia. bullets and decided not to buy one and have the odd diameter bullets instead of the more common .357. Also friends that bought the 350 have not been happy with the accuracy with the factory ammo and also having deer run off and have to trail them. Could be the shooter making bad shots. I decided on the CVA Scout in 444 Marlin. I bought the stainless model with the fluted barrel and the removable muzzle brake. Has a trigger pull of 1 3/4 pound right from the box. It also has a Bergera barrel that is the smoothest barrel I have seen. So far accuracy is great and I have plenty of 44 caliber pistol bullets I can reload in the 444 for cheaper practice shooting than the rifle bullets. I can load it down to 44 Mag velocity or full power 444 for far more energy than a 350 legend for heavier game than deer. I am planning on getting another CVA Scout in 35 Whelen and shoot the .357/358 pistol bullets in it to load ammo cheaper for practice. I will get the same model as I have in the 444. Also a big thanks to Vaquero for helping me out with some full length casings for loading my ammo.

Really like those CVA's Bandit. I almost bought one in 243 a local shop had one for 350.00. I wish they made one in 357

[North Country Gal]

As mentioned, no need to worry about barrel burnout on a 243 as long as you are at least a little careful about not getting the barrel too hot over long extended shooting sessions, as you might over a prairie dog town. Don't think you'll see too many of those in Maine.

The 243 is a very versatile cartridge, of course, but it's mostly a matter of how far you want to push it. It's always been great as a deer/varmint cartridge, staying true to its original intended use. I know some elk hunters who even use it for cow elk, but I think that's pushing it.

I get why people in states with cartridge restrictions get all excited about new straight wall cartridges such as the 350 Legend, but in states that have no restrictions with so many better options, I don't see the point. As always, choosing a cartridge is as much a personal preference as much as a logical choice, so each to their own.

[Vaquero]

As mentioned, no need to worry about barrel burnout on a 243 as long as you are at least a little careful about not getting the barrel too hot over long extended shooting sessions, as you might over a prairie dog town. Don't think you'll see too many of those in Maine.

The 243 is a very versatile cartridge, of course, but it's mostly a matter of how far you want to push it. It's always been great as a deer/varmint cartridge, staying true to its original intended use. I know some elk hunters who even use it for cow elk, but I think that's pushing it.

I get why people in states with cartridge restrictions get all excited about new straight wall cartridges such as the 350 Legend, but in states that have no restrictions with so many better options, I don't see the point. As always, choosing a cartridge is as much a personal preference as much as a logical choice, so each to their own.

Speaking of Elk hunting, people kill them all the time with a bow. So killing them can't be that hard.
Never really been a fan of the 243, but if you can clearly take 'em with a bow, the 243 shouldn't be a problem.
I mean at close distances, not 300 yds away.
Just like black bear, a lot are taken with a bow yet some say you need 45/70 power.
Shot placement has a lot more importance than the tool in a lot of cases.

And the legend with it's 9mm diameter does absolutely nothing for me.
If I was stuck in one of those cartridge length restricted states I'd be looking at the Buckhammer with the 358 bore.
Same bore size as the 357 and 35 Rem.

RP

[rickhem]

If I was stuck in one of those cartridge length restricted states I'd be looking at the Buckhammer with the 358 bore.
Same bore size as the 357 and 35 Rem.

RP

The Buckhammer has slightly better ballistics and a much better selection of projectiles too.

[ds10speed]

I have a .350 in a Winchester XPR, I really like it. The recoil is low, about the same as the .243 and I can shoot 1" groups at 100 yards just like my .308 Model 70. I don't care about the 9mm bullet diameter because I won't shoot it enough to bother reloading. The factory ammo has been excellent for me and dropped a buck in his tracks. I live and hunt in the cartridge length restricted zone but I also hunt with my .308 in the northern zones.

[Vaquero]

I have a .350 in a Winchester XPR, I really like it. The recoil is low, about the same as the .243 and I can shoot 1" groups at 100 yards just like my .308 Model 70. I don't care about the 9mm bullet diameter because I won't shoot it enough to bother reloading. The factory ammo has been excellent for me and dropped a buck in his tracks. I live and hunt in the cartridge length restricted zone but I also hunt with my .308 in the northern zones.

That's a good looking rifle and I'm not even a bolt guy. I'm a cowboy a heart kinda guy I guess as I grew up watching Westerns.
Dad's only firearm was a Winchester 94 Classic with the 20" octagon barrel, and was the first cf firearms I shot.
Been a lever gun nut since way back.
No restrictions here, but kinda been kicking around the idea of one of the .360's.

RP